While the first half of this pregnancy mostly involved me lying on the couch watching every Masterpiece Theatre series ever released, as the HG nausea has improved I’m trying to make up for lost time on my to-be-read pile. Here’s a few of the great titles I’ve picked up lately: (This post contains Amazon affiliate links.) One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler: Sometimes you read a book … [Read more...]
20 Picture Books That Will Delight Your Children (And That Won’t Annoy You)
This is a popular post from the archives that has been brushed up to share some of our favorite picture books! These are some tried and true titles that have passed an important test: we've read them hundreds of times to our kids and don't hate them yet (miraculous, no!?). The stories and illustrations of these books are enchanting and they have become classics in our household. Enjoy our list and … [Read more...]
A Un-bookish Reader’s Guide to Falling in Love with Fiction
Guest post by Mandi Richards Imagine the quintessential “bookish woman.” In your image, is she sitting next to the fire or in a comfy armchair with a cup of tea in hand? Is she reading Austen? Shakespeare? Fitzgerald? I am not that woman. I’m ambivalent toward tea at best. I love to read, but I’m much more likely to lose myself in war history than a classic. Not only do I struggle … [Read more...]
To the Bookish Mother of Littles
You knew having a baby would change things. Nights out on the town would be few and far between. You wouldn’t sleep much during those newborn weeks. But if you’re like me, you weren’t expecting your bookworm tendencies to be so thwarted. Maybe you were an English major in college. Maybe you studied literature in grad school. Maybe you’ve just always been a bibliophile. But now you find yourself … [Read more...]
Reading Goals for 2013
I feel pretty glum about the length of my 2012 completed reads. It was a year of sleep-deprivation and pregnancy nausea but I think that if ahead of time I'd had a plan for completing all the books I wanted to finish, maybe I wouldn't have dropped the ball? So, to have some accountability, I want to post my reading goals for 2013 and leave a little breathing room for your suggestions (I added … [Read more...]
Should You Limit Your Child’s Reading Choices?
I am surprised by the popularity of a post I wrote a few weeks ago: “Why You Can’t Read Twilight: A Letter to My Daughter,” and I’m simply fascinated by some of comments it’s received. Some folks love it, but boy does it rub some people the wrong way! Many commenters think the idea that I would tell my daughter at say, age 11, that she can’t read Twilight is downright loony and they refer to … [Read more...]
Bookshelf Love: Our Library Shelves
Since we started homeschooling our 3-year-old for Preschool our stack of library books has grown by leaps and bounds and started taking over our living room. I saw the idea to use IKEA spice racks as children's bookshelves that's so popular on pinterest and mentioned it to my husband. "I can make that," he said. He put them together and Benjamin "helped" paint them and now they are lovely and … [Read more...]
This Week’s Miscellany: Vol. 23
Coming Up in the Liturgical Year: The Feast of St. Rose of Lima next Thursday! Daniel made an unforgettable meal last year to celebrate with dishes from the Philippines and Peru. We posted both recipes on our severely neglected liturgical year blog: Feast! In the Garden: I finally cooked up this Green Cushaw Pumpkin, the biggest thing we've ever grown in our garden: Pumpkin and Sausage, … [Read more...]
Why Your Kids Need to Read Harry Potter
Warning: I’ve tried to be vague and keep spoilers at a minimum, but if you don’t want to know ANYTHING about the plot, be warned that this post contains allusions to themes and plot events. Confession: I have loved the Potter series since I was 12 years old. I grew up with Rowling’s books and they continue to delight me. I cannot wait until my children are old enough to delve into the … [Read more...]
January 2012 Reads
Now that we're really settled into life with two kids, my sleep-deprived mind is getting back into the swing of reading for pleasure. In January I finally finished Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was a beautiful clothbound Penguin edition, see? I am more than mildly obsessed with these Penguin editions and my wonderful in-laws gifted me several for my birthday last year. Can't imagine a … [Read more...]
